That Which Is Broken
by ShanniC
Summary: [Boiler Room] With the downfall of J.T. Marlin comes the end of his relationship with Abby. Can Seth reclaim what was once lost? Can what is once broken ever be repaired?


Author's Notes: This is the first of what could be a continuing story, depending on the feedback. This story is based on Boiler Room the excellent legal drama starring Giovanni Ribisi, Vin Deisel, and Nia Long. The following is my take on how Abby and Seth should have reunited. Please note that I spelled Abby's name Abby and not "Abbie". I like my spelling better. For those that have yet to see the film, go out and rent it as you will not be disappointed. Please read and review, thanks! This story is rated **R** for language and sexual situations.

Disclaimer: Boiler Room is the property of Ben Younger, and I am not making a profit. This is merely the work of a fan's devotion.

**That Which Is Broken**

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Though the pay would never equal that of J.T. Marlin, Abby enjoyed working as administrative assistant at Macy's. She worked long hours, but the pay was decent and she was making an honest living. The J.T. Marlin ordeal had only just recently settled down, and thankfully she had gotten on relatively easy. Since she herself had not been directly involved in the trading, and had given the F.B.I. tips in prosecuting all of the brokers, Abby only been given thee years probation. She decided to go back to school and to get a degree in Business Administration. At least then, she would be doing everything legally. Her thoughts were troubled and the wind blew outside, wildly. Abby poured herself a nightcap, settling down to drink when she heard the soft sounds of knocking at her door. She checked the mirror, satisfied with her appearance. It was a Friday night and she was dressed in silk pajamas, with a cotton tank top. She looked into the peephole, surprised by the figure she saw. What in the world was Seth Davis doing on her doorstep?

"Hi."

There it was. That one word brought back a surge of emotions that she had somehow managed to suppress. Now, faced with the man that had left her, she knew not what to say. They stared at one another for a moment longer, before he finally ushered himself into her home. A year and half had gone by and he looked the same. His hair had changed from that slick look, to one of sophistication. She too had changed physically. Her hair was shoulder length and now worn in a beautiful coif. They stood in silence, each unsure of what to say or how to say it. Abby closed the door behind him, and ushered him into the living room.

"What are you doing here Seth?"

His face appeared closed, but Abby could see the emotion in his eyes. After the J.T. fiasco, she had been certain that everything between them was over. She figured that when she hadn't agreed to walk out with him, he wanted nothing to do with her. But if that were so, what was he doing at her apartment now? Abby sighed, handing him a scotch on the rocks. They sat facing one another, and she felt as if the tension could be cut with a knife. Seth took a swig, and slammed the glass back down.

"I came for you Abby. I told you that I would take care of you."

Abby walked to the window, her back to him. On the streets people walked rushed from one place to another. The clock on the wall gave the time as 1:17 a.m. There were still a few stragglers on the streets, but soon enough they would be gone. Suddenly, she could feel his arms around her waist. His chest touched her back, and he held her—it was as if they had never been apart. She could him hear him as he took in her scent, and tears welled in her eyes. She whirled around in his arms, with tears falling from her brown cheeks. When he kissed her tears away, she felt weightless as if she had finally wakened from a dream, but that was not reality. Even though his lips kissed at her cheeks, licking the tears from her face, he still had been the cause of those tears and she couldn't forget that.

"No! You can't do this to me Seth! You just can't come to house at one in the morning and expect everything to be alright! You can't hug me like that, and you certainly can't kiss my tears away. I called you, I called you every night for two months, and you just ignored me! You made it clear that we are over, so why are you here now?"

Seth's hands came to her cheeks, and his thumbs wiped away the last of her dry tears. His forehead touched hers, and he said nothing for a moment. To the outside audience it would appear as if he were savoring her. His hands roamed her body, as if he were remembering every nook and cranny. And he was. She pulled away from him, away from his embrace. She could feel that vague since of emptiness once their bodies separated.

"I came back for you, _to_ you because you're mine. I love you and I don't like losing what is mine."

Before she knew what she had done, Abby slapped him. Seth reeled back from the sting of her hand, and stepped back from her. From the look in her eyes, he could see that she was angry. He understood that she would most likely be downright pissed, but he hadn't expected her to react so violently.

"That's bullshit! You completely ignored me when I tried to call you. I wrote to you, left messages you and still you completely shut me out! Where were you then, huh! Where were you when my mother died! Where were you when I tried to tell you that I had already made a plea bargain with the F.B.I! Why didn't you ever get back to me?"

Seth guided her back to the sofa, facing her on the coffee table. He needed to make her understand why he had made the choices he did. They were all for her benefit, they were all for her. He wanted to make up for everything that had happened between them, and the best place to start was the truth. He gently held her hands in his own, and a wistful smile shown on his face. He missed just being with her, holding her in his arms.

"Agent Drew said that if I had any contact with you whatsoever during the investigation, and subsequent prosecution of J.T. Marlin associates, you would be arrested and charged. I had no idea that you had made a deal with the F.B.I, because you never told me. I assumed that you were going to take the fall with everyone else. Now that the investigation is over, and the trials are nearly over, Agent Drew assured me that I could resume contact with you."

Abby looked away, not wanting to look at the eyes that had caused her so much pain.

"What about email, or something. Why couldn't they tell me themselves? If we did resume our relationship at the time what would have happened?"

She demanded, sniffling lightly. Seth got the feeling that she had cried over him before. Knowing that he had been the one to reject her made it all the more painful. At the very most he could hope for was her forgiveness, but her love was lost forever.

"We would have both been charged, baby. I'm sorry, I wanted so many times to rush over to your apartment and tell you everything. I did it to protect us, but now—now I've lost you, so what difference would it make?"

Seth admitted dejectedly. He had lost her, and gained nothing. He never really had an opportunity to make serious money at J.T. and his father nearly lost his judgeship. The only thing that he had gained from J.T. was Abby, and now even though he was confessing everything, there was no clue to say that he could still have her.

"I wish that I could have known earlier. I should have told you that I decided to take the plea bargain, but it's in the past. I am through with corporate trading, through with Wall Street altogether. I make an honest living now, and I have enough savings to get by comfortably. Thank you for telling me this Seth. Goodbye."

"What, that's it! I just tell you why I have ignored you for over a year, and you just brush me off! I wanted to be with you! I wanted to tell you, but what I did was for both our sakes. I was only protecting you."

He growled, pacing the length of her living room like an angry tiger. Everything that Seth had done was for Abby. He promised her that he would take care of her, and when he finally made good on that promise she cast him aside. Why couldn't she see that he was doing these things for their best interest? She had been the only constant, the one good thing in his life and it was for nothing!

"How is that Seth? By making my choices for me? I understand that you were unable to contact me during the year of the investigation. However, for the last six months there has been nothing holding you back. You could have called me and I would have understood. You chose to ignore me then, and now you come in the middle of the night! For what, Seth what do you want!"

Abby yelled, with her hands on her hips. Despite her anger, she was a beautiful sight to behold. He would get nowhere with her, if they continued to argue.Still, it didn't take a blind man to see that he was willing to jump through hoops for this woman.

"Damn it Abby! What the fuck do you think I want? I want _you_! I waited this long to tell you, because I had to get my shit together. Closing the casino and losing my job at J.T. made me a fucking liability. How many times I have told you that I would take care of you? I know that I made mistakes, but now, now things are finally looking up for us baby. I'm back in school, and I have already started up my own business."

"Do you honestly expect me to drop everything because you decide that you want to resume a relationship with me that ended a year and a half ago? Who the fuck do you think you are? Did it ever occur to you that I have moved on?"

Seth smiled then, watching her as she continued on her angry tirade. She did have a right to feel the way she did, but he knew that there was no man in her life. Her mother had passed away, and she wasn't seriously dating anyone. There had been a few flings but nothing that rivaled what the two of them had shared. He brought her back into his arms again, caressing her back as she cried against his shoulder. He knew that she was thinking about all the times that she had needed him and he hadn't been there, especially when her mother had died.

He pulled back slightly from her embrace, brought his lips crushing down on hers. Seth explored her mouth, silently demanding that his tongue have entry. She moaned against him, but parted her. She still tasted like fresh strawberries, and as their bodies were crushed against each other, he could feel the heat between them. Abby reached for his pants buckle, as his hands began to tug at her tank.

"We shouldn't be doing this. I haven't forgiven you."

Abby murmured softly against his lips. He agreed, things were moving faster than he'd expected. Yes, he wanted her forgiveness. He wanted to eventually be allowed back into her heart, but he was still uneasy. Soon his mind was taken off such things as they surrendered to the festering of passion between them. Clothes were strewn about as hands, and lips explored forgotten places. He was all angles, but she was soft and smooth curves. He missed her body against his; he missed her strong hips, taking him in when he didn't deserve the pleasure.

"Your right, we shouldn't do this… but it feels so right. I missed you Abby, you don't know how much. I promise that things will get better. We won't make the same mistakes. I just wanted to be with you, and we both have a second chance."

Then, magic happened. That blissful feeling of release between two people went above and beyond basic coital relationships. He knew then, as they lay spent on her navy leather couch, that things between them could only get better. They would have to, and Seth had no other choice but to have faith in that.

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Footnotes: That's the story so far. I am not sure if I should continue or not, so let me know in the reviews how I did. This is my first Boiler Room story and I hoped that you all liked the story. Please review, and thank you again for reading. Peace.


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